Container carrying handle



5:.0. THEN June 2, 1959 CONTAINER CARRYING HANDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 30, 1955 E. 0. THEN June 2, 1959 CONTAINER CARRYING HANDLE 2 Sheets Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 30, 1955 INVENTOR.

- ATTORNEYS CONTAINER cannrnro HANDLE Edward 0. Then, Newark, N..l., assignor to American Can Company, N ew York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 30, 1955, Serial No. 549,982

6 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates generally to devices for carrying a plurality of handleless containers and the like and has particular reference to a novel handle having laterally extended supports on opposite sides thereof which are engageable readily between two adjacently disposed and tied together containers for lifting and carrying them as a unit.

For the convenience and savings of the economic minded purchaser, many articles or products sold in containers may be banded or tied together as a unit, twin pack, dual or unitary package. Frequently however, such units are awkward or heavy to carry and hence it is desirable to provide a separate handle which is strong, simple and durable in construction and one which can be easily and quickly inserted between the containers to support them when they are lifted and carried by the handle.

An. object of the instant invention is the provision of a novel handle which can be inserted endwise between two juxtaposed and banded together containers, where it is thereafter held against displacement by the band for lifting and carrying the containers as a unit.

Another object is the provision of such a handle having laterally extended container supports which are engageable beneath outwardly projecting ledges on two juxtaposed and banded containers.

A further object is the provision of such a handle wherein the container supports are formed from an integral portion of the handle or from a supplemental element which may be readily and securely attached to the handle.

Another object is the provision of such a handle wherein the container supports are folded or hemmed two layer elements extending laterally from opposite faces of the handle to support the weight of the containers and their contents when carried by the handle.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a pair of juxtaposed containers banded together for carrying as a unitary package by a handle embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the band shifted to a different position for insertion of and/ or removal of the handle from between the containers;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the handle taken substantially along a plane indicated by the lines 3-3 in Fig. 1; with adjacent parts of the containers shown in dot and dash lines and broken away;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views of modified forms of handles; and

Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are enlarged sectional views similar to Fig. 3 taken substantially along the respective planes indicated by the lines 8--8 in Fig. 4, 99 in Fig. 5, 10-40 in Fig. 6 and 11-11 in Fig. 7.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate a handle A (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) for carrying a pair of fibre milk containers B disposed in juxtaposed relation and tied or banded together by a surrounding fibre band C. The containers B preferably are of the character disclosed in United States Patent 2,085,979 issued July 6, 1937 to John M. Hothersall on Container.

Such a container comprises a rectangular body D having flat side walls E which at their upper ends are formed with necked-in portions F and an immediately adjacent outwardly or laterally projecting end seam or ledge G which surrounds the periphery of and secures in place a fiat top end member or disc H.

In the juxtaposed relation of the containers B, two side Walls E are directly opposite each other in substantially contiguous relation and the corresponding sections of the ledges G for these side walls extend transversely of the package with their outer edges parallel and substantially coincident.

The tie element or band C preferably is made from a single piece of fibrous material having its end portions overlapped against one side wall E of one of the contaniers B as shown at J in Fig. 1. The overlapped end portions are secured together in any suitable manner, as by wire staples or an adhesive interposed between the end portions, to hold the band in place securely and to thereby tie the containers together.

The handle A (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) preferably comprises i a one piece, single thickness, rectangular shaped carrying member 21 made of heavy stiff paper or cardboard. The carrying member 21, inwardly of its two side edges and its top edge is slit or out along connecting lines of severance 22, 23, 24 and the material of the member, defined by these lines of severance and still connected to the carrying member inwardly of its bottom edge, provides a substantially rectangular displaced portion 25 (Fig. 3) and produces a finger opening 26 in the handle for carrying purposes.

In order to conserve the material used in producing the handle A, the rectangular portion 25 displaced from the opening 26 is utilized to form other important elements of the handle. For this purpose the portion 25, still connected to the carrying member 21 as an integral part thereof, is bent or folded downwardly and outwardly relative to the opening 26 along a fold line 27 (Fig. 3) into a horizontal position spaced upwardly from the bottom edge of the carrying member 21 at the bottom edge of the finger opening, thus providing a substantially nsrrow fold or lower layer 28 of a container support 29 extending horizontally and alterally outward from one face (at the left as shown in Fig. 3) of the carrying member 21.

The outer free end of the portion 25 is further bent or folded upwardly and inwardly, back on itself along a fold line 31 to provide an upper layer or fold 32 which is disposed in overlapping engagement upon the lower fold 28. A suitable adhesive 33 interposed between the lower and upper folds 28, 32 secure the folds together to produce the double or two layer container support 29.

During the bending or folding of the upper fold 32 the free outer end of the portion 25 is projected through the finger opening 26 and extended horizontally and laterally outward from a second or opposite face of the carrying member 21 (at the right as viewed in Fig. 3) to provide a substantially narrow upper layer or told 34 of a container support 35 on this opposite face of the member 21.

The outer free end of the portion 25 is further bent or folded downwardly and inwardly along a fold line 36 to provide a lower layer or fold 37 which is disposed in underlying engagement with and beneath the upper fold 34. A suitable adhesive 38 interposed between the upper and'lower folds 34, 37 secure the folds together to produce the double or two layer container support 35.

The remaining free end of the portion 25 is further and finally bent or folded downwardly into a vertical plane along a fold line 39 to provide a terminal marginal edge or depending leg 41 which is parallel to and in engagement with the carrying member 21. A suitable adhesive 42 interposed between the carrying member 21 and the depending leg 41 secures the leg 41 to the carrying member.

With the portion 25 thus bent and folded and secured together in a one piece structure, the lower horizontal edge of the finger opening 26 is reenforced and the adjacently disposed container supports 29, 35 extending laterally from opposite faces of the carrying member cooperate with it in holding the handle in place for supporting and carrying the containers.

When such a handle A is inserted into carrying position between two juxtaposed and banded together containers B of the unitary package, it is disposed between the substantially coincident ledges G of the containers as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 with its rectangular shaped carrying member 21 extending both above and below the tops of the containers and with its laterally extended container supports 29, 35 disposed under the ledges G and in the space provided between the adjacently necked-in portionsF of the containers as shown in Fig. 3.

With the handle A in this position, the lower depending portion of the carrying member 21 extends down into the space between the necked-in portion F and is located below the top edge of the surrounding tie band C to prevent edgewise displacement of the handle from between the containers. The band C preferably is located adjacent the top edges of the containers (Fig. 1) where it maintains the handle A in readiness for lifting and carrying the unitary package.

As a modified form of the invention, the handle A v(Figs. 4 and 8) is illustrated as being formed from one piece of heavy stiff paper or cardboard which preferably is folded along its upper edge 43 to provide a double thickness or layer substantially rectangular carrying member 44. This carrying member 44 is slit or cut inwardly of its side edges and its folded top edge along separately spaced apart connecting lines of severance 45, 46, 47 in each layer and the material of the carrying member 44 defined by the lines of severance and still connected to each layerinwardly of their bottom edges, provide a pair of substantially rectangular displaced portions 48 and produce aligned finger openings 49 in the layers of the handle for carrying purposes.

The displaced portions 48, like the displaced portion 25 previously described are formed into laterally extended container supports for the handle. For this purpose each of the displaced portions 48 still connected to a layer of the carrying member 44 as an integral part thereof, is bent or folded downwardly and outwardly from the openings 49 along a fold line 51 spaced upwardly from the bottom edge of the respective layers at the bottom edge of each finger opening 49 (Fig. 8), thus providing an upper layer 52 of a container support 53 extending horizontally and laterally outward from each outer face of the folded carrying member 44.

The outer free end of each of the portions 48 are .further bent or folded downwardly and inwardly alonga fold line 54 to provide a lower layer 55 which is disposed in underlying engagement with and beneath each of the upper layers 52. A suitable adhesive 56 interposed between each of the upper and lower layers 52, 55 secure the respective layers together to complete the supports 53 as substantially narrow double or two layer container support elements.

The remaining free ends of the portions 48 are further bent or folded downwardly into a substantially vertical plane along fold lines 53 to provide terminal marginal edges or depending legs 59 which are parallel to and in engagement with the outer face on each layer of the carrying member 44. A suitable adhesive 61 interposed between the depending legs 59 and the outer faces of the carrying member layers secure the parts together.

As another modified form of the invention, the handle A (Figs. 5 and 9) is illustrated as being formed from one piece, single thickness, rectangular shaped carrying member 63 made of heavy stiff paper or cardboard and having a separate or supplemental element 64, preferably formed of metal such as tin plate or aluminum, secured thereto to provide substantially reenforced and rigid container supports 64 for the handle. This carrying member 63 is slit or cut inwardly of its four edges along lines of severance parallel to these edges to provide a substantially rectangular finger opening 66 in the handle for carrying purposes.

The supplemental element 64 is an elongated structure having a substantially T-shaped configuration (Fig. 9) which straddles and is supported on a horizontal edge 67 bordering upon the bottom of the finger opening 66 in the carrying member 63. This element preferably is formed to provide a medial portion thereof to define the horizontal portion of the T which extends horizontally of the opening and laterally outwardly beyond the opposite faces of the carrying member to provide upper layers 68 of the container supports 65.

The outer free ends of the supplemental element 64 are further bent or folded along fold lines 69 at the outer side edges of the upper layers 68 in downwardly and inwardly directions to provide the lower layers. or folds 71 which are disposed in underlying engagement with and beneath the upper layers 68.

The outer free ends of the supplemental element 64 are still further bent or folded along fold lines 72 disposed inwardly and adjacent to the carrying member 63 to provide vertical downwardly extending or depending legs 73 which are located in parallel and spaced apart relation to frictionally engage the opposite faces of the carrying member 63 to secure the supplemental element 64 thereto.

As a further modified form of the invention the handle A, (Figs. 6 and 10) is illustrated as also being formed from a one piece, single thickness, rectangular shaped carrying member 75 made of heavy stiff paper or cardboard and having a separate or supplemental element '76 also formed of metal, secured thereto to provide substantially reenforced and rigid container supports 77 for the handle. This carrying member 75 is slit or cut inwardly of its four edges along lines of severance parallel to these edges to provide a substantially rectangular finger opening 78 in the handle for carrying purposes. The carrying member 75 also is slit or cut to provide an elongated horizontal supplemental element receiving opening 79 which is disposed in the lower portion thereof intermediate the finger opening '78 and the bottom edge of this carrying member.

The supplemental element 76, like element 64, also is in the form of an elongated structure having a substantially T-shaped configuration (Fig. 10) which is disposed in the opening '79 and supported on the lower horizontal edge of this opening so that parts thereof such as a container support 77, may extend outwardly from each opposite face of the carrying member 75.

The supplemental element 76 preferably is produced with an elongated horizontal portion thereof which,

represents the horizontal outline of the T, and which provides an upper horizontal layer 81 of each of the container supports 77. Along one side edge of this horizontal layer 81, a free marginal edge portion of the suplemental element is bent or folded downwardly and inwardly along a fold line 82 (at the left as viewed in Fig. 10) to provide a lower layer or fold 83 which is disposed in underlying engagement with and beneath the upper layer 81 and together constituting one of the container suports 77.

At an opposite side edge of the horizontal layer 81 (as viewed at the right in Fig. 10) a free marginal edge portion of the supplemental element is bent or folded downwardly and inwardly along a fold line 84 to provide a lower layer or fold 85 which is disposed in underlying engagement with and beneath the upper layer 81 and thus comprising another of the container supports 77.

The remaining portion of the supplemental element 76 adjoining the lower layer 85 is further bent or folded downwardly into a vertical plane along a fold line 86 to define the vertical outline of the T and to provide a terminal marginal edge or depending leg 87 which is parallel to and in engagement with one face of the carrying member 75 (at the right as viewed in Fig. 10).

The supplemental element 76 preferably is secured to the carrying member 75 by means of displaced portions of metal 88 cut, punched or otherwise formed from the depending leg 87 to provide hollow rivets 89. For this purpose one or more of such rivets are formed from the leg 87 preferably after the parts are assembled so that the displaced portions of metal 88 pass through openings 91 which they pierce in the carrying member simultaneously with the cutting of these portions from the depending leg 87. The extending substantially sharp edges of the displaced portions 88 which pass through the openings 91 are bent or folded back against the opposite face of the carrying member 75 thus securing the parts together.

As a still further modified form of the invention, the handle A (Figs. 7 and 11) is illustrated as being formed from one piece, single thickness, rectangular shaped carrying member 93, made of heavy stiif paper or cardboard, which member is substantially identical to the carying member 63 hereinbefore described in connection with the modification illustrated in Figs. and 9 and for the purpose of this invention requires no further explanation.

A separate or supplemental element 94 designed for the carrying member 93, like the previous reenforced ones, also is formed of metal and is an elongated structure having a substantially inverted U-shaped configuration (Fig. 11). This element preferably is designed to provide a curved medial portion 95 which straddles and is supported upon a horizontal edge 96 bordering upon the bottom of a finger opening 97 of the carrying member 93.

At each side of the curved medial portion 95 this supplemental element 94 is provided with a depending section or leg 98 which extends vertically downward in spaced apart parallel relation for frictional engagement with each of the opposite faces of the carrying member 93 for securing the supplemental element 94 to the carrying member. At the lower end of each of these depending sections 98, a free marginal portion is bent or folded outwardly and upwardly from opposite faces of the carrying member 93 along a fold line 99 to provide a horizontal and laterally outward extended lower layer or fold 101.

An outer free terminal edge portion of each of these lower folds is further bent or folded upwardly and inwardly from opposite directions along fold lines 102 to provide an upper layer or fold 103 which is disposed in overlapping engagement with and upon the lower fold 101. Each of the lower folds 101 and its associate engaging upper fold 103 comprising a double or twolayer container support 104 on each opposite face of the container member 93.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that the various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A substantially fiat carrying device for a pair of rectangular fibre containers secured together in juxtaposed relation and each having laterally projecting peripheral ledges at their top ends with ledge portions along contiguous container side walls disposed in opposed abutting relation, comprising a fiat upstanding rectangular handle having an intermediate portion cut away to form a substantially central rectangular opening, the entire cut-away portion of said handle being bent upon itself in superposed thicknesses extending horizontally outwardly in opposite directions along the bottom edge of said opening, to constitute opposed horizontally extending longitudinally elongated container support members of double thickness on opposite sides of said handle, the outer end of one of said container support members extending vertically downwardly therebeneath and lying flatly against said handle, said handle being laterally inset-table between said containers to engage said horizontal container support members beneath said container ledges for carrying the juxtaposed containers as a unit.

2. A flat carrying device as defined in claim 1, wherein the double thicknesses of said container support members are adhesively secured together and said terminal end of the cut away portion is adhesively secured to said handle.

3. A carrying handle as defined in claim 1, wherein said carrying member comprises a flat folded element of double thickness having the separate layers thereof cut out to set off a finger opening in the handle, said cut out portions being integrally connected to said carrying member and being folded at right angles thereto to extend laterally outwardly in opposite directions to constitute horizontally disposed and aligned container supports on the opposite faces of said carrying member.

4. A carrying handle as defined in claim 3, wherein said cut out portions are substantially rectangulartin configuration and are integrally connected to said carrying member along fold lines at the bottom horizontally aligned edges of said finger opening, each. of said cut out portions extending laterally outward from an outer face of said carrying member and folded to extend downwardly and inwardly in underlying engagement to provide a two layer secured together container support on each outer face of said carrying member, a terminal marginal edge on each of said portions being folded to extend downwardly as a depending leg parallel to and adhesively secured to an outer face of said carrying member.

5. A substantially fiat carrying device for a pair of rectangular fibre containers secured together in juxtaposed relation and each having laterally projecting peripheral ledges at their top ends with ledge portions along contiguous container side walls disposed in opposed abutting relation, comprising a fiat upstanding rectangular handle having an intermediate portion cut away to form a substantially central rectangular opening, the entire cut-away portion of said handle being bent horizontally outwardly along the bottom edge of said opening, thence bent upwardly and horizontally inwardly and extending through and beyond said opening to constitute a horizontal longitudinally elongated container support member of double thickness on one side of said handle, and thence bent downwardly and horizontally inwardly to constitute a second horizontally aligned longitudinally elongated container support member of double thickness on the oppotion of the cut away material is adhesively secured to said side side of said handle, the terminal end of said cut away handle.

portion being thence bent downwardly and lying flatly against said handle, said handle being laterally insertable References Cited m theqfile of thls patent between said containers to engage said horizontal con- 5 UNITED STATED PATENTS tainer support members beneath said container ledges for 2,138,336 Bronstein Nov. 29, 1938 carrying the juxtaposed containers as a unit. 2,162,235 Vaughn June 13, 1939 6. A flat carrying device as defined in claim 5, wherein 2,605,041 Welshenbach July 29, 1952 the double thicknesses of said container support members 2,694,596 Greenlaw et al Nov. 16, 1954 are adhesively secured together and said terminal end por- 10 2,696,400 Reyna et a1. Dec. 7, 1954 

